High-speed counter



June 1954 w. .1. OPOCENSKY ETAL 2,682,373

HIGH-SPEED COUNTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1950 Ennentcrs MLLA PDdoH/v OFOCE/VS/(V C'Hss TE'R BRA NEON June 29, 1954 w. J. OPOCENSKY ETAL 2,682,373

HIGH-SPEED COUNTER Filed Feb. 4, 1950 I5 Sheets-$heet 5 3nnentorsMLLA/PD JoH/v OPOCE/VSKV {5 06095751? BRANDON (Ittorneg Patented June29, 1954 HIGH- SPEED COUNTER Willard John Opocensky, Glendale, andChester Brandon, La Canada, Calif., assignors to Librascope,Incorporated, Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California ApplicationFebruary 4, 1950, Serial No. 142,396

6 Claims.

The'present invention relates to counters and is concerned moreparticularly with the provision of a counter constructed for high-speedoperation.

The mechanical counting of operations such as shaft rotations at highspeeds presents difficult problems because of the fact that the lowestorder registering wheel, if intermittently actuated, and, in any event,the higher order numeral wheels, are actually in motion during onlyabout onetenth of the cycle of rotation of the driving shaft. Verysevere shock loads are imposed by the sudden starting and stopping ofthe parts involved, and these loads are increased where the parts are soconstructed and arranged as to have high inertia.

The present invention makes possible the provision of a countingmechanism for counting operations such as shaft rotations at speeds ofthe order of 4000 revolutions per minute without the imposition of shockloads exceeding those en countered at very much lower speeds inpreviously known devices of the same kind.

This is accomplished by the provision of a novel intermittent-actuationdevice in which a Geneva drive having the desirable characteristic ofgradually accelerating the driven parts is combined with a resilientcoupling which is effective as the speed of operation rises, to decreasethe peak speed which they attain. The device may I.

be employed either as the actuator for the lowest order wheel of anintermittently actuated counter,

or for actuating the next higher order wheel of a counter in which thelowest order wheel is continuously driven by a shaft the revolutions ofwhich are to be counted. Preferably it is employed in conjunction with acounter design in which the inertia of the moving parts is as low asfeasible.

In the accompanying drawings, a preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated in which this'novel intermittent-actuation device isemployed for driving the next to lowest order wheel of a counter inwhich the lowest order wheel is directly driven as above described. Inthis embodiment:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the counter;

Figure 2 is an end elevational view of the counter at the input endthereof;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view of the counter as mounted inplace on a framework;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view with the parts shown indeveloped relation for clear illustration of the drive train from theinput shaft to the counting mechanism;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the line5--5 in Figure 4 showing the relation of the Geneva transfer pinion toits cooperating parts;

Figure 6 is an elevational view from the right of the parts shown inFigure 5;

Figure 7 is an elevational View of the resilient or flexible drivecoupling employed to minimize shock loads; and

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken as indicated by the line 88 in Figure'7.

In the embodiment of the counter selected for illustration, it is shownas used, for example, in counting or indicating range which is input inunits of yards per rotation of the input shaft and which may be readwith reference to calibrations in two-yard units. Referring to Figures1, 2 and 3, the counter includes a base plate In, respective end platesII and [2 (Figure 4) and respective side plates I3 and [4 suitablysecured together. A cover [6 is shown having a sight opening I! inconjunction with an input dial [8 and sight openings I9 for therespective counting dials 2|, as described hereinafter. The counter maybe mounted on a frame 23 as shown in Figure 3, for example, by securingmeans engaging respective sets of ears 22 with the sight openings of thecounter cover IS in alignment with a sight opening 24 of a suitablecover plate 25. The particularly mounting shown is merely forillustrative purposes and any other desired mounting may be provided.

The counter is provided with an input shaft 31 (Figure 4) which isjournalled by a pair of bearings 32 in a cylindrical bearing retainer 33having a press fit within the end wall I l of the case. At its inner endthe input shaft 3| is splined to a hub 34 on which the input indicatordial IB is fixedly mounted and to which a drive gear 36 is secured. Thedrive gear 36 meshes with a gear 31 suitably secured on a hub 38rotatably mounted on a shaft 39. The hub 38 is journalled in a bearing41 carried by a bearing block 42 suitably secured in place on the baseby means of cap screws 43 (Figure 2).

As seen in Figure 4, the drive from the gears 36 and 31 is through aflexible shock coupling 46, a Geneva drive 41 and speed reducing gearing48 to the units order counter-dial 21 as described in greater detailhereinafter. The gear ratio provided in the drive connection effects aone increment advance (which, in the illustrated embodiment, isone-tenth of a revolution) of the dial 2| for each complete revolutionof the input.-

The resilient coupling 46, illustrated in detail in Figures 7 and 8,comprises an input disc and an output disc 52 having bonded therebetweena resilient coupling disc or block 53 of suitable material such assynthetic rubber. Synthetic rubber having a durometer reading of 40-45has been found suitable for this purpose. The disc 5|, the disc 52 andthe block 53 have an aligned central aperture 54 therethrough, threecircumferentially spaced apertures 56, each having a reduced end 56a inthe input disc 5|, and three circumferentially spaced recesses 51extending inwardly from the plate 52 and terminating short of the discall to receive taper connecting pins 53 which are bonded to the materialof block 53 just as are discs 5| and 52. Referring to Figure '7, it willbe seen that the three sets of apertures 56 and 57 are arrangedalternately with respect to each other and symmetrically with respect tothe central aperture 54.

As seen in Figure 4, the apertures 56 provide clearance aperturesthrough the plate 52 and block 53 to receive screws 59 which passthrough apertures 56a in disc 5| and are threaded into the hub 38 of thedrive gear 3i with the plate 5| received in a central recess in the gear3?. As a result, the gear 31 is secured in place with respect to its hub38 and the coupling M5 is similarly secured in place by the screws 59;internal flange 31a of the gear it? being clamped between a flange 38aof the hub and the disc 5|.

The shock-absorbing disc assembly 38 is freely rotatable on the shaft 39and the disc 52 is provided with an aperture 52a to receive a drive pin6| (Figures 3 and 4) carried by a Geneva drive element 62 which may beformed integrally with the shaft 39 and also with a locking cam F33 ofthe Geneva drive. A shaft extension 64 of this assembly is carried bybearing 56 in an intermediate mounting bracket El suitably secured onthe base Ill. The opposite end of the pin 6| to that engaged with theshock absorbing assembly 46 provides the driver of the Geneva drive asseen most clearly in Figure 3. Driven element H (Figures 3 and i) of theGeneva drive comp-rises a three-slot member having slots Fla at 120intervals and arcuate recessed portions 'Hb to receive the locking camQ3. The recessed portion 63a of this disc provides for release of thedriven element H at the time that the drive pin 6i moves into engagementwith one of the slots i la in the conventional manner. The drivenclement (Figure 4) is carried by a shaft 12 mounted by spaced bearingsit in the bracket til and having a splined portion We at its oppositeend on which a drive pinion M is secured by means of a suitable lockwasher. The pinion "i l meshes with an idler gear 76 secured to a shaftl"! having a spaced pair of support bearings 78 in the bracket 61. Thepinion it in turn meshes with the drive gear 19 of the units order dial2| of the counter.

This arrangement is such that as pin 61 engages in one of the slots l|aof the driven element 1|, the driven parts will be gradually acceleratedfrom their position of rest instead of being suddenly brought to thesame speed as that at which the driving member is moving. As the pin 6|moves radially inward of member 1| along the slot Ha, such accelerationcontinues until the speed of the driven member exceeds that of thedriving member by an amount sufficient to make their speeds, averagedover the period of engagement, equal.

Thus the peak speed of the driven member may become twice or more thatof the driving member in a simple Geneva arrangement, or in the presentarrangement at speeds of opertaion insufficient to deform the rubber ofthe resilient coupling 46 to any appreciable degree. However, as thespeed of operation of the present device is increased, an increasingamount of deformation of the rubber of the resilient coupling takesplace as an incident to the engagement of a slot Ha by pin 5|. This hasthe effect of cutting down the peak speed which the driven member 1|otherwise would attain and, since the deformed rubber restores to itsoriginal form during the time the pin 6| is withdrawing from the slotand the driven member 1| is decelerating, the effect of such restorationis to partially offset such deceleration and maintain the driven memberI at a speed slightly higher than it would otherwise be moving duringsuch Withdrawal. Since the Geneva action. decelerates the driven partssmoothly to zero speed, the fact that they are decelerated at a slightlygreater rate than they were accelerated is not disadvantageous.

The gear 79 is secured to a sleeve 82 having an enlarged, or hub,portion 82a at one end, which has a shoulder 821) against which gear 19is held, as by spinning the hub portion over the opposite side of thegear. Sleeve 82 has: milled therein, keyways 82c and 82d which are ofdifferent widths; the wider keyway 820 being adapted to receive keysformed in the dial shell 2| which, being preferably of light metal suchas Duralumin, requires a larger key for strength, and the narrowerkeyway 82d being adapted to receive the keys of a two-toothed transfergear 9| and of a locking cam, or disc, 92 which are separated by aconventional spacer, as shown, and secured to sleeve 82, as by spinningthe metal of the: latter over the outside of gear 9|.

Sleeve 82 and the similar sleeves 826 of the higher orders which,however, lack the enlarged hub portion 82a, are rotatably mounted on ashaft 83 secured at one end in the end plate I? and supported at theother end Within. a recess within hub 34; a bearing 84 being interposedto permit free rotation of the hub thereon.

The employment of the intermittent-actuation device of the presentinvention to drive the first intermittently moved order of a countingmechanism of the kind described makes possible the employment ofconventional type of mutilatedgear transfer mechanism in superiororders. It is preferable, however, that this transfer mechanism bedesigned so that its moving parts have low inertia and so that theperipheral speeds of the intermittently engaging elements are maintainedas low as feasible.

Referring. to Figures 5 and 6 it will be noted that a partiallymutilated transfer pinion 93" is carried by stub shaft 94' in anupstanding car 96 of a mounting block or bracket 91 having a threadedaperture 98 for bolting to the plate I3- by means of a suitable screw 99(Figure 3)"; the positioning of pinion S3 being such that its full toothportion is engaged by the two-toothed gear 9| of a lower order andengages the drive gear: I 0| of the next higher order, while themutilated portion of pinion 93 is engaged by the locking cam 92 in themanner usual in the mutilated gear type of transfer mechanisms. Drivegears |0| for the second and third order dials 2| are positioned justwithin. the adjacent edge of the next lower order dial 2| forcooperation withthe full-tooth portion of the Geneva transfer pinion 93in the manner described. This arrangementds such that the weight of thetransfer mechanism is concentrated somewhat nearer the center ofrotation of the dials than has been previously the practice, and theimpact of the parts is also materially reduced because of the lowerperipheral speeds involved.

While we have shown and described a preferred embodiment of theinvention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of bothvariation and modification therefrom, so that its scope should belimited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A high speed counter comprising a series of numeral dials arranged inordinal relation, and a drive for said dials comprising an input shaft,a Geneva drive mechanism connected to one of said dials, and a flexible,shock-absorbing drive connection between said input shaft and saidGeneva mechanism, said connection comprising a resilient disc having adrive connection with said input shaft and with said Geneva mechanism.

2. A high speed counter comprising a series-of numeral dials arranged inordinal relation, and a drive for said dials comprising an input shaft,a Geneva drive mechanism connected to one of said dials, and a flexible,shock-absorbing drive connection between said input shaft and saidGeneva mechanism, said connection comprising a pair of spaced plateshaving a body of resilient material bonded therebetween.

3. A high speed counter comprising a series of numeral dials arranged inordinal relation, and a drive for said dials comprising an input shaft,a Geneva drive mechanism connected to one of said dials, and a flexible,shock-absorbing drive connection between said input shaft and saidGeneva mechanism, said connection comprising a pair of spaced apartplates having a body of resilient material bonded therebetween, each ofsaid plates having a radially projecting element engaged within saidbody of resilient material.

4. A high speed counter comprising a series of numeral dials arranged inordinal relation, and a drive for said dials comprising an input shaft,"a Geneva drive mechanism connected to one of said dials, and a flexible,shock-absorbing drive connection between said input shaft and saidGeneva mechanism, said connection comprising a pair of spaced apartplates having a body of resilient material bonded therebtween, each ofsaid plates having a series of circumferentially spaced radiallyprojecting elements engaged within said body of resilient material.

5. In a high speed shaft rotation counter having a series ofintermittently operable, ordinally arranged, decimally calibrated dials;a drive mechanism comprising a continuously rotatable driving elementhaving a driving pin eccentric of its axis of rotation, anintermittently operable rotary driven element having three intersectingradial slots equi-angularly spaced thereon; said slots having wallsparalleling throughout their effective length a radius of said drivenelement; and gearing interconnecting said driven element and the lowerorder one of said dials; said gearing being proportioned to rotate saiddial one-tenth of a revolution for each one-third of a revolution ofsaid driven element; the axes of rotation of said driving and drivenelements being so spaced apart that the center lines of two adjacentslots on said driven element are respectively tangent to the circularpath of the center of the driving pin when the pin is disengaged fromthe slots, so that said pin remains engaged with the parallel walls of aslot during substantially of rotation of said driving element, engagingsaid parallel walls prior to completion of 324 of movement and remainingengaged therewith upon completion of 360 of movement of said drivingelement from a zero position from which a count is begun.

6. The invention according to claim 5 in which a flexible: shockabsorbing drive connection is disposed in series with said drivemechanism.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 257,775 Snelling May 9, 1882 549,631 Davis Nov. 12 1895609,938 Keyes Aug. 30, 1898 719,198 Cyr Jan. 2'7, 1903 1,012,607 DegenerDec. 26, 1911 1,185,566 Wright May 30, 1916 1,469,932 Adams Oct. 9, 19232,117,024 Helgeby et a1. May 10, 1938 2,184,420 Fraser Dec. 26, 19392,336,307 Slye Dec. 7, 1943 2,514,174 Adshead July 4, 1950 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 160,204 Switzerland Feb. 28, 1933

